Refrigerator cabinet



April 12, 1938. A. P. BALL 2,114,169

REFRIGERATOR CABINET Filed 001;. '7, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l I 7 6 [2 43 INVENTOR WM fllberf 7? Ball.

r35 7 I BY *v/ ATTORNEYS.

April 12, 193s.- A. P, BALL 2,114,169

REFRIGERATOR CABINET 1 Filed 001;. 7, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR flu; 7. 25 1;.

' ATTORNE s.

Patented Apr. 12, 1938 REFRIGERATQR CABINET Albert P. Bali, Detroit, Micln, a'ssignor to Briggs Manufacturing Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application October 7, 1933, Serial No. 692,560

7 Claims.

This'invention relates to refrigerator cabinets and more particularly to cabinets useful in iceless refrigerating systems.

An object of the invention is to providean improved refrigerator cabinet having a main or inner storage compartment and a supplementary 'or outer compartment formed by means of a casing hinged therein and accessible when the main -cabinet door is open, said casing being mounted to swing through the door-opening to permit access to the main compartment.

A further object of the invetnion is to provide a refrigerator cabinet of the foregoing type having improved means for maintaining the temperature and air within the supplementary com- \partment in desirable condition for the storage bf certain foods, permitting the segregation of foods with high water content and preventing contamination of foods stored in the main or inner compartment.

Other objects of this invention will appear in Fig. 3 is a detail section taken through line 33 of Fig. 1 in the direction 01' the'arrows. 35 Fig. 4 is a. fragmentary perspective view illustrating a removable tray for the supplementary compartment.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken substantially through lines 55 of Fig. 1 in the 40 direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal section illustrating a modification. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary horizontal section ii.-

Before explaining in detail the present inventionit is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illus- 50 trated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phra'seology or terminology employed herein is for the purlustrating a further modification. V

not intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of the prior art.

Referring to the drawings wherein several present preferred adaptations of the invention are illustrated by way of example, there is shown at In a suitable refrigerator cabinet of any desired conventional construction having enclosing walls which may be of composite formation composed of insulating material and outer and inner metal sheathing. The front of the cabinet has the usual door opening controlled bya door ii hinged at I2 to the front wall of the cabinet. The door may also be a conventional construction including insulating material sheathed between outer and inner panels. i

In accordance with the present invention there is mounted within the main compartment of the cabinet a casing member, generallyindicated at l3, which forms a supplementary compartment. The casing I3 may be formed from sheet metal and comprises a vertical back wall l4, forwardly extending sides I5, and forwardly extending top and bottom walls. l6 and I1, respectively. A boxlike casing is thus provided which isopen at its ing l3, adjacent the hinged edge of the door I I, a

depending pivot pin l8 which is adapted to seat in a recess or socket I9 provided in the base of the main cabinet, the pin l8 being rotatable within the socket or recess. Vertically alined with the pivot pin I8 is a retractable. pivot pin 20,

carried by the top wall iii of the casing member. Threaded to the upper end of the pin 20 is an annular head 2| adapted to project into a circular socket or recess 22 in the top wall of the cabinet. Theupper wall I6 is formed with a bearing boss 23 slidingly receiving the pin 20, and mounted over this boss and engaging the head 2| is a compression spring 24. The pivot pin 20 is thus I in the form of a retractable plunger having at its lower end a knob 25 which may be grasped to retract the plunger from its bearing socket or seat 22. In this manner the casing l3 may be readily removed from within the main compartment, whereas when in position within the com- 5 65 pose of description and not of limitatiornand it is partment the 'pivots will beheld within their respective sockets under suflicient spring pressure to prevent chattering or rattling of the casing during'operation of the refrigerator mechanism.

It will be seen that the casing" I3 is pivoted adjacent one edge of the door opening, preferably at the same side of the cabinet as the hinge l3 for the main door ll, so as to swingoutwardly through the opening when the door II is open. 6 The casing, therefore, provides substantially a supplementary door adapted to swing outwardly in the same direction as the main door so as to provide access to the interior of the cabinet. Means is preferably provided for locking the cas- 10 ing or supplementary door l3 in its inner closed position, and also for limiting its inward swinging movement so that it may be held in proper posi tion with relation to the outer door when the latter is closed. In the present instance the compartmentdoor 'or casing 13 is yieldingly held in closed position by means of a' flat spring 26 having one end bolted at 21 to the cabinet wall. This spring is bowed in its length and flanged at its free end 28. When the compartment door I3 is swung into closed position, see Fig.- 2, the spring will be compressed by engagement of the wall l5 with the normally flared side 29 of thespring, and inward movement of the door will be limited by the stop 2f of the spring. One or more of the springs ltmay be provided for engagement with the compartment door l3 at different points with the cabinet walls so as to effect a seal around the marginal edges of the main door opening. In this form of the invention the forward marinal edges of the casing 13 along the sides, top and bottom thereof are pressed to provide a rolled edge 30 forming an internal'groove or channel 1 within which is anchored the beaded edge 3| of a sealing strip which may be composed of rubber or other suitable material. This strip has a projecting flexible lip 32 extending continuously around the marginal rolled edges 30 of the casing and positioned so as to contact with the rear -marginal edge of the jamb face 33 of the cabinet.

Thus, as will be seen in Figs. 2 and-5, the sealing strip 3| effects a, seal of the door opening around its inner edges, thereby providing a sealing means supplementary to the outer seal I la. Atthe same time the strip 3| seals or closes oil the open side of the casing l3 from the main compartment Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 it will be noted that the casing l 3 also functions as a closure means for 'thefront opening of the evaporator casing.-

There is illustrated at 34 any conventional type of evaporator casing or housing which may include inner and outer walls 35 and 36. spaced for the reception of coiled piping or other conduits (not shown) through which the refrigerant flows. The

evaporator 34 provides the usual sharp freez- 00 ing compartment 31 within which are located ice trays 38. The front of the evaporator casing is open to permit removal of the ice trays and in the present instance this opening is controlled by' -means of the rear wall l4 of the casing l3, so that when the casing or compartment I3 is swung into closed position within the main refrigerator compartment it will seal the front opening-of the evaporator casing. .In the present instance the front marginal wall of the evaporator casing is formed with a continuous groove'or channel 39 within which is anchored the beaded edge 40 of a sealing strip 4| composed of rubber or other suitable material. The strip 4| forms a projecting flexible lip in position to be engaged by the back wall l4of the casing l3, and since the sealing strip extends around the marginal edges of the front opening of the evaporator casing 34, the ice tray compartment thereof will be sealed when the casing I3 is in its closed position. The interior of the supplementary compart- 5 ment or casing I3 is provided with suitable shelving so that articles of food may be conveniently carried therein. In the present'exampie a series of shelves 42 of wire formed basket type are detachably mounted within the casing. Each 10 shelf is suitably formed of lengths of wire 43, see Fig. 4, and secured thereto are vertical end plates 44. Each metal plateis formed with a vertical slot 45 and an extended portion 44a in rear of the slot. Secured to the side walls I5 of the casing 15 are pairs of alined studs or pins 46 adaptedtto flt into the slots 45 and support the shelves in position within the casing. Each shelf 42 may be installed by tilting its rear part upwardly so as to insert and locate the studs 46 in the slots 45.20 Thereupon the shelf is forced downwardly into horizontal position. During this action the end plates 44 will wedge between the side walls l5 of the casing and will yieldingly grip these walls. Thus the plates 44 will exert a sufllcient degree 25 of spring pressure to. hold the tray firmly in position against any danger of vibration or chattering during operation of the refrigerator mechanism.

It will be noted that the sealing strip 4| will the back 'wall of the casing so as to prevent ob- 5 4 'jectionable noises due to.,vibration or chattering.

, In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 6 the construction is preferably substantially the same as above described with the exception that a" modified type of seal between the supplementary'MO compartment and main cabinet is provided. In this instance there is anchored within the chan nel of the rolled edge 30 of the casing the beaded edge of a sealing strip 4 composed of rubber'or other suitable material. jecting flexible and compressible lip 48'adapted to engage at 49 the inner edge of the jamb face\ 33 when the casing I3 is swung into closed posi- 7 tion. Moreover, the sealing lip 48 is so positioned as to, be engaged by the inner edge 50 of the 50 door I I when closed. Thus the weather stripping 48 not only effects a seal between the J'amb faces llb and 33 'of the door and cabinet, respectively, but' also seals theopen side of the compartment [3 from the interior or main com- 55. Y I partment of the refrigerator.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig; 7 the construction is also substantially the same as that heretofore described with the exception that a still furthermodiflcation in the manner of seal-.

ing .the supplementary compartment is provided.

'In this instance the beaded edge 5| of a sealing is sealed around its edge 'at the open side thereof 70 against the circulation ofrefrigerated air through the gap between.the front edges of? the supple- This strip has a pro- 45 substantially an inner door capable of preventing any material exchange of air between the outside atmosphere and inner compartment when the outer door is open. This outer compartment is preferably maintained at a somewhat higher temperature than the main compartment, such as at a diflerential'of approximately 10 F., and is, therefore, adapted for the storage of foods, such as fruits and vegetables, which should not be chilled to temperatures ordinarily maintained in the-cabinet. The supplementary compartment is particularly advantageous for storing fruits and vegetables to prevent dehydration thereof since there is preferably substantially no circulation of refrigerated air from the main compartmerit through the supplementary compartment. When thus utilized to minimize dehydration of foods it is desirable that an exchange of air be provided between the compartments so as to prevent sweating, and this may be accomplished by providing a suitable number of small ventilating openings in the rear wall it, preferably near the top thereof. If it is desired, however, to induce a circulation of refrigerated air through the supplementary compartment, openings may be provided in the top and bottom walls It and 51. If desired; ventilating openings may be provided in the side walls I5 of the casing at opposite ends of each of the shelves so as to produce sufiicient exchange of air to prevent sweating. This may be accomplished byomitting the pins 46 and striking inwardly the metal of the walls to form lugs, or if desired louvres, adapted to cooperate with the slots 45 to support the shelves. By thus forming inwardly projecting lugs from the metal of the wall to replace the pins 46, openings will at the same for ventilation purposes.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerator cabinet having an outer door, an inner main compartment, a box-like casing open at one side facing said door and hinged to swing through the door opening, said casing forming an outer compartment, and yield-' ing means between said casing and a wall of the cabinet for limiting the inward swinging movement of the casing and effective to clamp the casing in position within said main compartment.

2. In a refrigerator cabinet having an inner compartment, an outer door, an outwardly swinging casing forming a supplementary compartment adjacent the'inner face of the door, vertically alined pivot members mounted at the top and bottom of the casing for swingingly supporting the casing within said'inner compartment, one of said pivot members being spring pressed in the direction of the adjacent cabinet wall.

3. In a refrigerator cabinet having an inner compartment, an outer door, an outwardly swinging casing forming a supplementary compart-' ment adjacent the inner face of the .door, vertically alined pivot members mounted at the top.

and bottom of the casing for swingingly supporting the casing within said inner compartment, one of said pivot members being spring pressed in time be provided the direction of the adjacent cabinet wall and also retractableto permit bodily removal of the casing.

- 4-. A domestic refrigerator comprising a cabinet having a main inner compartment and a main door opening, a movable outer door of a size to close saidopening, an auxiliary food compartment associated with said door in rear thereof and including a casing having a rear vertical wall and enclosing forwardly extending side walls adapted to effect an approximate closure of said opening and to expose said food compartment when the outer door is open, said casing being movable horizontally through said opening independently of the door, and a releasable latching device interposed between one of said casing side walls and the adjacent cabinet side wall and cooperable therewith for maintaining the amiliary food compartment in fixed relationship with respect to the cabinet when the outer door is opened.

5. A domestic refrigerator comprising a cabinet having a main inner compartment and a main door opening, a movable outer door of a size to close said opening, an auxiliary food com" partment associated with said door in rear thereof and including a casing having a rear vertical wall and enclosing forwardly extending side walls adapted to effect an approximate closure of said opening and to expose said food compartment when the outer door is open, said casing being main door opening, a mo able outer door of 'a size to close said opening,'an auxiliary food compartment associated with said door in rear thereof and including a casing having a rear vertical wall and enclosing forwardly extending side Walls adapted to effect an approximate closure of said opening and to expose said 'food compartment when the outer door is open, said casing being movable horizontally through said opening independently of the door, and a projecting flexible sealing strip carried by andextending along an edge of one of the casing side walls and adapted to engage the main door opening to seal the main compartment, said edge having a coiled portion forming a retainer for said. strip. 7. In a refrigerator cabinet having an inner main compartment, 9. pair of outwardly swing-. ing inner and outer doors, the inner door having a supplementary compartment accessible at the front face thereof and comprising a back wall and forwardly extending enclosing. side walls, and a wire formed shelf detachably mounted within said supplementary compartment and including opposed end portions adapted to be relatively compressed between said side walls to hold the shelf firmly in position against vibration,

said side walls and said end portions having releasable interlocking means.

. ALBERT P. BALL. 

